Afghanistan is cracking down on tax evasion to repair its finances as the country’s economy struggles with renewed violence and the withdrawal of the huge coalition presence that fed business for years.

Iran General's Profile Rises as Tehran Flexes Mideast MuscleU.S. officials consider the commander of an elite Iranian military unit a terrorist supporter and the man ultimately responsible for the deaths of thousands of American soldiers. But many Iranians view Gen. Qassem Soleimani as their best defense against foreign aggression. More

Jihadists See a Funding Boon in BitcoinWhen a group that says it provides financial assistance “relating to the jihad” sought to improve conditions for fighters in a squalid, sandbag-fortified trench in Syria late last year, it turned to a new funding conduit: bitcoin. More

Iranian Airline Bought U.S. Jet Parts Through Front FirmsAn Iranian airline under sanctions by the U.S. for ferrying weapons and fighters into Syria repeatedly bought U.S.-made jet engines and parts through Turkish front companies over the past several years, most recently in December, federal investigators said. More

Outside war-torn Kabul, a school soldiers onBoth women know that keeping funding going is tough with all the bad news from Afghanistan. But they try to remain optimistic. “The reason I am so positive about this mission is that I know the country is in terrible shape, and I don’t know what will ...02/16/2018 - 3:13 am | View Link

The Mind of Angelina Jolie: How ‘The Breadwinner’ Leaned on Her Work More Than Her NameTwomey wanted to tackle a sensitive drama about political oppression with adult sophistication and style; the story is based on Deborah Ellis’ 2000 YA novel about a tough 11-year-old girl who dresses as a boy in order to feed her mother and sisters when ...02/15/2018 - 5:34 pm | View Link

Taliban Attack Strands Millions Without Air TravelIt is halfway between Kabul and the western city of Herat, but dilapidated rural roads mean that the journey of more than 400 kilometers to either city is a tough choice. Travelers have to endure a bone-jarring 16-hour ride, which is usually split into two ...02/15/2018 - 3:43 am | View Link

Afghanistan eye series win in SharjahZimbabwe, meanwhile, will need to rebuild after a tough loss. After winning the toss and batting, Zimbabwe lost their last seven wickets for just 37 runs – they were 117/3 at one stage before getting bowled out for 154. No batsman reached fifty ...02/14/2018 - 9:47 pm | View Link

Afghan officials and Taliban talk despite wave of violenceThe two are not related. Mujahid — who was the Taliban's representative to the United Nations during the group's five-year rule of Afghanistan that ended in 2001 — said the group would not respond well to Trump's tough talk. "The language of power ...02/13/2018 - 4:20 am | View Link

mdash; Doctors in Syria’s rebel-controlled suburbs of Damascus said Wednesday they were unable to keep up with the staggering number of casualties, amid a ferocious bombing campaign by government forces that has targeted hospitals, apartment blocks and other civilian sites, killing and wounding hundreds of people in recent days.
The bombardment has forced many among the nearly 400,000 residents to sleep in basements and makeshift shelters, and has overwhelmed rescue workers who have spent days digging out survivors from the wreckage of bombed out buildings.
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(MAIDUGURI, Nigeria) — About 50 young women remained missing Wednesday after Boko Haram extremists attacked a village in northern Nigeria that is home to a boarding school for girls, provoking fears that they may have met the same fate as those kidnapped from the town of Chibok nearly four years ago.
Abdullahi Bego, a spokesman for the governor in Yobe state, said that authorities had no credible information that those missing from the village of Dapchi were taken by Boko Haram.